The group was formed in August 1965 when Los Angeles playboy Bob Markley, a wealthy law graduate and adopted son of an oil tycoon, organized a party at his home in Beverly Hills. Markley previously hosted the television program Oklahoma Bandstand in 1958, until he was signed by a Warner Bros. Records executive, and purchased a luxury mansion in Los Angeles. He released two commercially unsuccessful singles, "Will We Meet Again" and "Summer's Comin' On", between 1960 and 1961, and produced recordings for some musical acts, including Lucifer and the Peppermints, Bobby Rebel, and Sonny Knight on Markley's own local record labels. In attendance at Markley's party were dozens of journalists, deejays, and various individuals of the "in-crowd", as well as live performances by Al Kooper followed by the Yardbirds. Producer Kim Fowley introduced Markley to Michael Lloyd, and brothers Shaun and Danny Harris, members of the group the Laughing Wind.
Lloyd began his music career in 1962 in an instrumental surf rock band which included Jimmy Greenspoon, known as the New Dimensions and later the AlleyKats. The group entered Stereo Masters studio to record three albums, during which time Lloyd first became acquainted with Fowley. While attending the Hollywood Professional School, Lloyd befriended the Harris brothers, who recorded the regional hit "Ski Storm" with rival act the Snowmen. In early 1965, Shaun Harris collaborated with Lloyd in his newly formed band the Rogues, releasing the Harris-Lloyd composition "Wanted: Dead or Alive", on Fowley's Living Legend label. Shortly thereafter, with Danny Harris and drummer John Ware in the fold, Lloyd and Shaun formed the Laughing Wind, which recorded the single "Good to Be Around" for Tower Records later that year. Recordings made or produced by these pre-WCPAEB acts were collected years later on the compilation album, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band Companion in 2011.
Markley became motivated by the large crowd a rock band like the Yardbirds attracted, particularly the number of teenage girls, and proposed he would finance and secure a recording contract for the Laughing Wind, in exchange for his inclusion into the group. Impressed and slightly seduced by the much older Markley's wealth and entourage, the band accepted his offer. The decision to record as the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, rather than the Laughing Wind, was made by Markley, who envisioned the band as a west coast counterpart to the Velvet Underground. Looking to have something tangible to represent the band, in 1966, the WCPAEB released their debut album on Markley's FiFo label, Volume One. Much of the album was recorded at Lloyd's personal studio and a rented store-front on La Cienega Boulevard, before Markley joined the group; however, tracks such as "Don't Break My Balloon" and "If You Want This Love" indicate he had some influence over the later sessions for the album's development. While Volume One did feature a small selection of original material, the majority of the album was cover versions including "Louie Louie", "You Really Got Me", and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue".
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_West_Coast_Pop_Art_Experimental_Band)